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Billy Kidman
| birth_place = Allentown, Pennsylvania | death_date = | death_place = | resides = Tampa, Florida | billed = Allentown, Pennsylvania | trainer = Afa | debut = September 11, 1994 | retired = }} Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (May 11 1974) aka Pete Gruner is a retired American professional wrestler known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed to WWE as a road agent. Kidman is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Career history Gruner grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region. He joined WCW and ultimately gained fame as a key member of several strong wrestling factions. In addition to being a member of Raven's Flock, he also was a member of the Filthy Animals and later New Blood. As a member of these factions, Gruner participated in memorable rivalries with top WCW names, including Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio, and others. In 2000, Gruner appeared in the movie, Ready to Rumble, alongside many other WCW stars. When the WWF purchased WCW, Gruner, who was still wrestling as Billy Kidman, was among the first to join WWF as a Heel in the WCW Alliance. Gruner won the Cruiserweight Championship in July 2001. Kidman turned face after the WCW/ECW Alliance broke up. He went on to capture the Cruiserweight Championship for the seventh time by defeating Jamie Noble at Survivor Series, later Kidman was placed with a new tag team partner, Paul London. The team went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from The Dudley Boyz on July 8, 2004. The champion run of this Face team came to an abrupt end after Kidman turned his back on London, leaving him to wrestle a tag team title match on his own. The heel Turn came off the back of a legitimate injury on an August 24, 2004 taping of SmackDown!, where Billy Kidman's Shooting Star Press caused Chavo Guerrero to suffer a concussion and be taken to the hospital. The pair fought at No Mercy, where Kidman injured London with a shooting star press, while London was strapped to a stretcher. When Chavo returned, he faced off with Kidman in a storyline resulting from the injury. Gruner was released from his WWE contract on July 7, 2005. During this first tour of the UK since leaving WWE, Kidman would make a few appearances in independent British promotions. Other than his notable Frontier Wrestling Alliance 3-way match with Jodie Fleisch and Jonny Storm, Kidman would also wrestle British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside in a losing effort during a British rules match to determine the first Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. While in England, Gruner gave an interview to The Sun, a London-based tabloid newspaper, in which he said that he was interested in wrestling for TNA. In the course of the interview, Gruner claimed that he was fired from WWE for criticizing the company's decision to downgrade wrestlers from business class to economy class in overseas flights. After returning to the United States, Kidman wrestled a dark match, while wearing a mask, before a WWE show in July 2006. Wrestling facts *'Finishing Moves' **Shooting Star Press **BK Bomb (Lifting Spinebuster) **The Kid Krusher *'Signature Moves' **BK Facebuster (Dragon Sleeper Facebuster) **Fireman's Carry Neckbreaker **Suicide Dive **Legscissors Takedown **Clothesline **Diving Elbow Drop **Multiple Kick Variations *** Enzuigiri *** Dropkick *** Big Boot (as a counter to an opponent coming towards the turnbuckle) *'Tag teams and stables' :*'Billy Kidman' & Paul London :*'Billy Kidman' & Rey Mysterio :*The Alliance :*Filthy Animals :*New Blood *'Managers' :*Lacey Von Erich (FCW) (2007) :*Torrie Wilson (WCW) (1999-2000) *'Wrestlers trained' :*Mikey Batts *'Theme music' :*“You Can Run” by Jim Johnston & Lorddikim Allah (WWE) Championships and accomplishments *'East Coast Wrestling Association' :*ECWA Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Ace Darling *'World Championship Wrestling' :*WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (3 time) :*WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 time) - with Konnan (1), Rey Mysterio Jr. (1) :*WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rey Mysterio Jr. *'World Series Wrestling' :*WSW Heavyweight Champion (1 time) *'World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment' :*WWE Cruiserweight Championship (4 times) :*WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Paul London See also *Billy Kidman's event history External links * Billy Kidman profile at CAGEMATCH.net * Profile Category:American wrestlers Category:Australasian Wrestling Federation alumni Category:East Coast Wrestling Association alumni Category:Florida Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Frontier Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:Full Throttle Wrestling alumni Category:International Championship Wrestling alumni Category:IWA Puerto Rico alumni Category:Northeast Wrestling alumni Category:Nu-Wrestling Evolution alumni Category:NWA Florida alumni Category:NWA Midwest alumni Category:NWA New Jersey alumni Category:NWA Pro Wrestling alumni Category:Ohio Valley Wrestling alumni Category:Real Quality Wrestling alumni Category:Southern Championship Wrestling alumni Category:United States Wrestling Association alumni Category:USA Xtreme Wrestling alumni Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni Category:World Series Wrestling alumni Category:World Wrestling Council alumni Category:World Wrestling Entertainment current roster Category:World Xtreme Wrestling alumni Category:1974 births Category:1994 debuts Category:WWE Cruiserweight Champions Category:WWE Tag Team Champions Category:Pennsylvania wrestlers Category:WCW World Tag Team Champions Category:2008 retirements Category:Heartland Wrestling Association alumni Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:Welsh Wrestling alumni Category:Wrestle Rampage alumni Category:Wrestling Fan Xperience alumni Category:Living people Category:Male wrestlers